It is a privilege to serve the wonderful people of House District 39A in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Our district includes: Forest Lake, Scandia, Shafer, Franconia, May Township, Marine on St Croix, Stillwater Township, and Stillwater P5, P7, and P8.
I currently serve as the Chair for the Veterans Affairs Division and also serve on the Taxes, State Government Finance, Capital Investment, and Ways & Means Committees. Along with these duties I am the Chair of the MAG (Military Action Group) which meets once a month at the Capitol.
THANK YOU for visiting!
And, as always, thank you for the honor to serve as your State Representative. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or input you may have.
Bob Dettmer
State Representative, HD 39A
Issues
Education
As a teacher and coach for 34 years, I know first hand Minnesota has a long history of excellent public and private schools. Providing adequate and fair funding should naturally be among the highest priorities of our state government.
Equity Funding
But did you know funding is not equitably distributed across the schools in our state? In fact, many schools in our area receive thousands less per student compared to schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul. This is not right. Equity funding is essential to help lower class sizes and hire the staff necessary to meet the educational needs of all our students. And that’s not the only thing that needs reform. We must also build in educational funding accountability so that taxpayers are assured the dollars they entrust to the public school system are used in the classroom and not squandered on excessive bureaucracy.
Preparing Students for the Future
While funding is an important component, it is not the only factor. In today’s rapidly changing world it is imperative we prepare students for the future by placing a strong emphasis on enforcing high standards in the classroom, enabling students to master the competencies that will make them successful in life. Whether it’s in reading, writing, civics, the arts, or STEM-based curriculum, all students deserve an educational experience full of academic rigor to prepare them for adulthood.
Education is a Team Effort
Lastly, I believe involved parents and guardians are the key to successful children’s education. Their involvement, together with teachers and local school boards, is a winning formula for making the best, child-focused educational decisions.
Taxes & The Economy
As your representative I will continue to work for ways to:
- Use tax dollars responsibly
- Demand accountability in state spending
- Lower the tax burden for all Minnesotans
- Provide real property tax relief directly to taxpayers
- Encourage jobs and growth with competitive tax rates for businesses
Stay business-friendly
Small businesses drive our economy, and government should design legislation that encourages businesses to locate and remain in our state. Businesses subjected to increased taxation and excessive regulation have proven time and again they are willing to move to business-friendly states to avoid regulatory overreach in states with a less-favorable business climate. While this type of job-killing legislation can affect all businesses, it disproportionately affects job-creating small and family-owned operations. Remember, government cannot create jobs in a free marketplace. Government sets the conditions for jobs to be created, and the best job-creating policy is a marketplace free of unnecessary regulation.
Bloated government spending
In past years, growth in government spending in our state has far outpaced that of Minnesota’s working families, and some in St. Paul have put special interest groups ahead of their constituency. The only special interest group I care about is my constituency, and I will continue fighting to keep the government out of your family’s checkbook.
And there’s good news. I’ve been able to help make real change in terms of tax legislation in recent years. After nearly two decades of no meaningful tax relief for Minnesotans, we finally were able to pass the 2017 Tax Relief Bill. This bill, championed by House Republicans, will deliver $650 million in tax relief to Minnesota families over the next two years, and $790 million in 2020-2021.
Healthcare
Minnesota is the nation’s health care leader, but that does not mean we can sit back on our accomplishments. I have consistently supported consumer-centric solutions that let individuals and families find the most affordable care that suits their needs.
At the Capitol I will fight for:
- High-quality, affordable healthcare for Minnesotans
- Empowering consumers with control over their health care decisions
- Reducing excessive mandates that drive up costs
- Keeping the government out of the doctor’s office
- Lower costs, increased choices
MNsure a Disappointment
Recently, the Legislative Auditor released their report on MNsure, stating our health care exchange’s “failures outweighed its achievements.” This is incredibly disappointing for Minnesotans who purchased health care through MNsure, as well as for the taxpayers who spent nearly $300 million to build it. I will continue to work toward fixing this bloated system, looking for ways to implement real solutions instead of more cover-ups and Band-Aids. It’s time for state leaders to bring real accountability to health care in Minnesota. By creating market-based plans with affordable options, Minnesotans can keep their health care and still enjoy the tax deductible benefits offered by their employers.
Public Safety
Safety is Fundamental to Community
Public safety is of paramount importance in communities across the state. The first duty of any government is to protect its citizens. I have led the way in keeping our communities and families safe from those who would do us harm.
I supported improving Minnesota’s public safety by passing laws to strengthen penalties for offenders, including locking up the violent criminals “worst of the worst” sexual predators for life, shutting down meth labs, and assisting victims.
I also believe in providing second chances for low-level, nonviolent offenders, who make mistakes, with alternatives to incarceration.
Transportation
The overwhelming majority of Minnesotans travel using roadways and our funding priorities should reflect this reality. To increase safety and reduce traffic congestion, we must prioritize fixing these roads and bridges that are used every day.
I will continue to argue for:
- Fair distribution of transportation dollars throughout the state
- Investment in our roads without making them more expensive to use
- Directing resources to roads, highways, and bridges
But what about light rail?
I am a fan of all forms of mass transit including light rail, but highways are Minnesota’s primary veins of commerce. Businesses use them to ship their goods and workers use them to get to and from their jobs. Without good roads we risk losing businesses and all the jobs that go with them. Maintaining the quality and safety of our highways is crucial and will become increasingly more so as we transition from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to vehicles that use cleaner, renewable fuel sources.
Veterans
I am honored to serve as the Chair of the House Veterans Affairs Division, which has worked in a bipartisan manner to improve the lives of the men, and women who have served and sacrificed so much for our country.
This past session we successfully passed more than 29 pieces of legislation that addressed the concerns of the veteran’s community. The bills included funding the veterans homes in our state and operational funding for Veterans Affairs Department programs and services designed for the long term care needs of our veterans and their families. These include:
- Bonding for new Veterans Homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston.
- Asset preservation for the existing Veterans Homes.
- Surviving spouse benefits of disabled Veterans who have died
- Support Our Troops grants
- Public safety grants to train law enforcement in de-escalation techniques designed to help Veterans suffering from PTSD
- Veterans Defense Project grants for veterans suffering from PTSD
- Minnesota GI Bill expanded
This content was originally published at http://www.bobdettmer.com/